The present invention related to disposable undergarments and more particularly, a pants type undergarment which is equipped with elastic film which does not traverse the crotch region, and to a method of producing such undergarments.
Disposable undergarments of the children's training pant type, or of the adult incontinence type, are generally made up of two nonwoven layers of material with elastic strands of material placed between the two nonwoven layers of material thus creating an elastic web laminate. The layers of material are continuous sheets of material that are eventually cut into individual undergarments lengths. The elastic strands may be arranged and cut so that specific areas of the undergarment are free of elastic tension or forces.
Many patents describe methods of putting elastic in the leg hole area of a undergarment. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,745,922, 5,188,627, 5,660,657, 5,643,396, 5,634,917 and 5,660,657. Still, the problem remains of efficiently and securely placing elastic in other areas of the undergarment besides the leg hole areas. Securing elastic strands around the back and front waists, for example, in a secure and systematic manner is also an element of disposable undergarment design that has not been perfectly addressed in the prior art.